Vehicle-wheel.



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VEHICLE WHEEL.

APPLICATION FILED Dc.1.19le.

1,279,284. Patented sept. 17,1918.

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w. II. DAI/IDSIIN.

VEHICLE WHEEL.

APPLICATION FILED IIc.I. I9I.

Patented Sept. 17, 1918.

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WALTER HENRY DAVIDSON, 0F KALGOORLIE, AUSTRALIA.

VEHICLE-WHEEL. Y

specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Sept. 17, 1918..

Application filed December 1,V 1916. Serial No. 134,433.

To all whom z't may concern:

Be it known that l, WALTER HENRY DA- vrnsoN7 a subject of the King of Great Britain, residing .at Kalgoorlie, Australia, have invented new and useful Improvements 1n /Tehicle-VVheels, of which the following is a specification.

Y This invention relates to vehicle wheels and more particularly to a vehicle wheel of the resilient type which is especially adaptedV for use in connection with motor driven vehicles, such as automobiles, and the like.

The primary object of the invention is to provide a resilient wheel which is so constructed that when applied to a vehicle of the class described, the vibration and jars incident to the travel of the vehicle over a rough and uneven road will be instantly absorbed by the wheel without the necessity of using a cushioning means, such as a pneumatric tire, or the like, for this purpose.

Another object of the invention is to provide a wheel of the class described in which the wheel hub has mounted to slide therein spring pressed spokes upon the outer ends of which are mounted to rock shoes held in frictional engagement with the inner peripheral faces of the wheel rim by said spokes and coacting with the spokes to permit the wheel rim to move bothv circumferentially and in a plane lverticalto Athe wheel hubwhen the wheel is brought into Contact with an obstruction, or the like, without imposing Va strain upon the spokes of the wheel which would tend to cause the spokes to bind in the hub of the wheel and retard thesliding movement of the rim upon the shoes. Y y

A still further object of the invention is the provision of a resilient wheel which is so constructed that it may be used upon motor vehicles, and the like, having chain driven wheels or chain driven axles upon which the wheels are mounted.

With these and other objects in view, the invention resides in the novel combination and arrangement of parts, which will be hereinafter described and particularly pointed out in the claim.

The preferred embodiment of the invention has been illustrated in the accompanying drawings, although no restriction is necessarily made to the precise details of construction therein shown, as changes, alterations, and modifications, within the scope of the claim may be resorted to when desired.

Like characters of reference denote corresponding parts throughout the several views Vin the drawing, in which:

Figure 1 is a view in side elevation with parts broken away of a resilient wheel constructed in accordance with the invention. Fig. 2 is an enlarged vertical transverse section on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a View similar to Fig. 2 Von the line 3 3 of Fig. 1. Y

Y Fig. t is a side elevation partly in section cfa slightly modified form of the invention.

Fig. 5 is a vertical transverse section on ythe line 5 5 of Fig. l.

Fig. 6 is a plan view -of one of the hub sections. Y

Referring now to the drawings in detail, the numeral 1 designates the improved vehicle wheel which comprises a hub 2 having extending radially therefrom spokes 3 upon the outerends of which is arranged a rim l movable both circumferentially about the hub and in a plane vertical thereto when a strain is imposed upon the wheel or the same is brought into contact with an obstruction.

The hub 2 is formed from a pair-of diskylike 'plates and 6 with each plate having formed therein a centrally located and circular depression?? communicating with the radially extending channels in the plates 5 and 6 which when the plates are arranged in opposed relation and connected through the medium of suitable fastening elements 8 forms within .thev hub 2 spoke pockets 9, the inner ends of which are closed by a band 10 arranged in the ychamber 11 formed by the depressions v7 in the plates 5 and 6, said chamber having arranged therein a bearing sleeve 12 passing through centrally disposed openings 1 3 in the plates 5 and and adapted to receive therein the spindle of an axle upon which the wheel is mounted to turn.

Disposed in each spoke pocket 9 in the hub 2 is a coiled expansion spring 14 having a length greater than the length of the pocket 9 and extending between the band 10 and the closed outer end of a tubular spoke 15 mounted to slide in the pocket 9, said closed outer ends of the spokes 15 having formed therein bearing sockets 16 with each socket receiving therein a ball shaped bearing head 17 on a shoe 18 which through the connection of the head 17 -with the socket'l in the spoke'l is mounted to rock springs arranged in the hollow spokes l( and pockets .9 inthe hub 2 so thatrupon Y contact of the Wheel With an obstruction or' When an undue strain is imposed thereon, the rim 19 is free to turn circuinferentially about the hub on the shoesflS and move in a vertical plane With relation to the hub. I Rings'20 vwhich are arranged upon `opposite sides-of the hub `2`extend between Vthe band and rim 19 and are connected With therinif19 bysuitable fastening elements such as screws, and the like, anddesignated -in the drawingsl by vthe numeral 21, said rings serving as a housing for the outer ends of the spokes and shoes 18 and also lprevent ylateral movement of the rim 19 With relation to the hub 2.

f v `v@ne of ftherings 120 -hasconnected therei with a toothed band 22 by nieansof which the Wheelgmay lbe rotated luponan axle Vthrough the use of a chain connected with i a motor, or the' like. Y

The modified form of the invention shown in Figs. 4 and 5 in the drawings is identical-With VAthe construction of the preferred form ofthe invention YWith vthe exception fthat vrthe `plates 5 and 6 'have Jpassed therethrough pins 23 disposed atv right-angles thereto and between' thefspoke pockets 9 Y l :Copies .of this patent maybe obtained for imposed -upon the Wheel andthat upon the n Y -vvheelv striking an' obstruction the rim 19 may inove circumferentially With relation to ,the V,hubupoii the outer of the-shoes 1S which are held in frictional contact With the rim 19 by the springs 1e' thus enabling the Wheel to eiiiciently absorb all shocks andTjars incident to the travel of` a heavily loaded vvehicle over an uneven road.

will .be seen. `that the rim 19 may` move in a Vvertical plane With relation Tto the hub 2 and also slide onjtheshoes18"to:\a-limitedV degree land that when the modified forni of "Wheel Vis used lin Vconnection with a vdriven axle, the pins 23 andrings 20 Will lock the hub to the rimso that the vehicle may be Y Kpropelled in the usual manner.

From the foregoing description, taken in connections/ith the accompanying drawings,

`it isat once apparent that a resilient Wheel has ybeen provided which 4though simple in construction and inexpensive otfinanufacture, is highly lefticient in use. f

lHaving-thus described the inventiom-What l isl claimed as new, is z' A resilient Wheelcomprising a pair of connected plates having radially extending channels therein *forming spoke pockets communicating `with a centrally arranged chamber communicating with centrally located depressions in said plates forming va chamber therein, a band arranged in said chamber and closing the inner ends of said spoke pockets, spokes mounted to slide in said pockets and having closed outer ends with bearing pockets therein, expansion springs arranged Within vsaidY spokes and pockets and bearing against the closed ends of the spokes and said band, shoes having vv'bea-rin'gheads mounted to turn in said bear- -ingpoclzets, a riiiil rictionally engaged with said shoes and mounted -to slide thereon,

said rings having recesses formed therein,

and pins 'passing transversely between saidv plates and .having their ends received in said recesses. v-

In testimony whereof I aiiix my signature.

WALTER 'HENRY DAVIDSON.

ve cents eaclniaddressng the Commissioner oflateiits, Washington,IDI-.63V vv rings connected with opposite sides oisaid -rim and having contact vvithD said shoes, 

